Dieruff's Schmidt To Retire

May 22, 1986|by KEITH GROLLER, The Morning Call

There were many tributes, honors and awards handed out last night at Dieruff High School's 27th Annual Kiska Awards Banquet, which salutes the school's athletes. But the biggest ovation went to someone who least expected it.

Dieruff Principal Mike Meilinger announced near the close of the banquet that "Mr. Husky" is calling it quits. After 27 years as coach and athletic director at the East Side school, Richard (Dick) Schmidt is retiring.

The Allentown School District Board will act on Schmidt's retirement tonight and Meilinger admitted that the board may not like having Schmidt's retirement announced prior to the board meeting.

But Meilinger explained, "I felt that the athletes of Dieruff High School, the people who have meant so much to Dick Schmidt's life over the past 27 years, should be the first ones to know."

When Schmidt's retirement was announced, the huge crowd in the Dieruff cafeteria stood up and greeted Schmidt with a standing ovation. Some students chanted, "Schmitty!" "Schmitty!"

"Thanks for the memories, thanks for everything," Schmidt told the audience.

"I feel I've accomplished everything I can being an athletic director and a coach," said Schmidt later. "I've put 39 years into coaching and teaching and I just feel maybe it's time I move on to other things. I know my wife, Annabelle, is quite happy about this decision. We may travel some more and do more things together now that I won't be tied down from 8 to 4 everyday, besides having to spend many nights at school running different events.

"I still may still be involved in athletics in one way or another; I'll still be doing some basketball camps," he added.

Even though the 61-year-old Schmidt says, "no one is indispensable," it will be hard for many to imagine Dieruff High School without Schmidt running around taking care of something.

After spending seven years at Allentown High and five at Muhlenberg College, Schmidt became Dieruff's first basketball coach in 1959 and built the Huskies' highly-successful program. Schmidt went 271-100 in his 15 years at the Husky helm, winning four East Penn League titles and a record-setting four consecutive District 11 championships from 1966-69. In 1968 and 1969, he took the Huskies to the PIAA Eastern finals.

In 1974, Schmidt became the school's athletic director and the Huskies' biggest fan. His antics and comedy routines at the school's pep rallies over the past 12 years were quite popular with the student body and his pep talks were always entertaining and enthusiastic.

"As a coach, Dick was a very intense guy, but you had to be intense to be as successful as he was," said Meilinger. "After he became athletic director, he lightened up a little bit and became a truly outstanding athletic director. He never stopped teaching the game of basketball, although as an athletic director, he never interfered with the currentcoaching staff. Dick Schmidt is not that kind of a guy."

Schmidt, whose daughters Ricki and Randy and son Richie all graduated from Dieruff, was inducted into the Lehigh Valley Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. As a testimony to Schmidt's coaching success, several of his assistants like Terry German and Dick Tracy have gone on to outstanding coaching careers of their own, as have several of his former players like Tommy Young and Dan Kemeter - the current girls' and boys' basketball coaches, respectively, at Dieruff.

"I'll remember the all-state players we had like Skip Kintz, Jan Kapcala and the other successes of guys like Bob Riedy and Jack Conrad," said Schmidt. "Perhaps the two times we made it to the eastern finals were the most memorable accomplishments. Winning the four consecutive district titles were also something special.

"I'd just have to say that there's good in all kids. At Dieruff, we've proven ourselves academically by being named a USA model school and we're always a contender in athletics."

Meilinger said in summing up Schmidt's career, "Dick Schmidt was a legend at Dieruff High School, a true friend of the students and athletes. Speaking for the school, we wish him nothing but the best in his retirement and we hope that he never forgets Dieruff High School. He will always be welcome here."